Lever-lock.



0. A. BENHAM.

LEVER LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED DBO.23,1912.

Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

y To all whom #may/.concern OLIVER A. BENI-IAM, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

LEVER-L0 CK.

v Specification of Letters Patent. i PatQntedScpt. 23, 1913.

pplieation tiled December 23, 1912. Serial No. 738,130.

Be it known that I, OLIVER A. BENIIAM, a

citizen of the United States, residing at- 'Daytom in the`county of Montgomery and StateotOhio, have invented certain new and uset'ul Improvements Ain Lever-Locks; and` I do declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description ofthe invention,

such as. will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeand use the same, reference being' had-'to the' accompanying drawings, and tothe letters and figures of reference marked thereon,which form a' part of this specification. i 4

This invention relates to certain improve,

ments in locks for securing the'gear shift-V mg leverl of automobiles. In

I briefer terms,

it may be delinedas alever lock.

The object of the invention isto provide a simple locking device whichv may be utilized in connection with the gear shifting levers of a variety of different automobiles.

To. these ends, the locking device consists .of a sliding I'nemberwhieh is 'mounted upon the s'hiftiinglever and; -is-movablerel'ative to the H-plate and when moved in operative re- 'lation with the latter, its position-is su'ch as to lock-` the shifting lever against movement in anydirection.

Preceding a detailed description of my inventiom-reference-is made to the accompanying'drawingsof which-'- Figure l.. is a perspective view ofa Aportion of ashifting lever, and an H-plate showing the device in operative relation;. Fig.2 is a cross-section:through the H-plate at a right angle to Fig. 1 showing the shifting lever connected vwith the rock shaft which connects the transmission gears (not shown) Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the H- plate showingthe shiftinglever and locking plate in section, on the line 6*?) of Fig. yl.; Fig. l is an enlarged elevation of the lower In a detailed' description ofthe invention, similar reference characters ir'ldica'te corresponding parts.

6 designates the usual form of lever' through which the transmission gears of an automobile`are'controlled. 'In the'i present application of the mechanism, illustrated in the drawing, .the lower end of said lever is of a Well known bifurcated form and .straddles the rock shaft 1 and is clamped thereon by a bolt` 7 which penetrates an aperture in the said lower bifurcated end 8 of the lever.

19 and 21.

'tion' by the extended 2 designates a portion of a tube inclosing said lever and leading to the arm on the inside of the transinission.- These are well known features of automobile transmission control and need uoillustration. each side ot the connected end o1 the lever 6` are arms 3 and l which are journaled upon `known :form and construction, having the usual 'slots 11, 12 and 13 into which the 'shifting lever is movable. For example, the

slot 1lis-that in which the lever may he moved :in obtaining low speed or reverse movement, and the slot 12 is that in which the lever may be moved in obtaining high speed and intermediate. The slot 13, which is provided by extending the portions 14, provides the neutral position for said shifting lever.l lIn this position, the said lever may be locked by means of a slidable plate 15 which is mounted upon said lever in juxtaposition to the' H-plate. This slidable plate 15 is provided with elongated slot 16 through which head bolts pass, said bolts being secured to the lever. The lower end of saidlocking plate 15 is enlarged to provide a projectionlf and two or`mo1e projections Extending substantially lateral to the plane of the lever and from the lower end thereof, is a lip 20. When the lower end of said plate is lowered into a locking position in the H-plate, as shown in the drawings, the projections 18 and 21 are adjacent to the end walls of the slot 12 while the lip 2 0 engages'the outer side wall of said slot or opening 12., The H-plate, as shown `in Fig.` l, has an opening 12 which is of a size to permit the projection 21 to enter it, therefore, the projections 18 and 21 are instrumental in preventing any movement of the lever 6 lengthwise of the H-plate,

while the lip 20 prevents any lateral movement of said lever in one direction and the projections"18 .and 21l prevent anylateral movement of the lever in the oppositedirecortions le of said H- plate. This is clear y shown in Fig. 3, where it will be seen that the lever 6 is in the neutral slot 13 and the lower end of the locking plate 15 is in the high speed and i11- y termediate speed slot12 with the lip 20 engaging the outer wall of said slot and ithe projections 1@ 'and 21 engaging the portions lbetween which the lever G lies. In-the event a particular H-plate should have a longer high speed and intermediate speed slot. 12, the projection 19 of thev locking plate 15 .will enter said slot and cooperate with theprojection 18 in preventing any movement of the lever lengthwise of said H- plate.

As I have said before, the purpose and object of my'locking device-isthat the same shall bevadapted to lock the shifting levers of any of the wellknown typesof auto'- mobiletransmission gear which employ plates. .Some of these have the spaces/in which the lever is movable to a greater eX- tent than others. Therefore, I have provided the engaging' end of the locking plate 15 with a multiplicity of projections so as to be operative with any of these well known' forms of H-plat'es. It will be readily seen that when the shifting .lever 6 is locked, `it is rigidly held in such locking position, as no movement can be imparted to thesame in either direction.. This I have clearly indicated inthe above description. Of course,

' it will be-understood that when the slidable locking plate 15 'is elevated from the H- plate,I the shifting lever' may be freely manipulated and at all times the locking plate 15 is maintained thereon and'is inseparable l therefrom.. The possibilityvof its being lost .I 'provide means for vwhen the plunger is .plunger is extended,

or misplaced is, therefore, not a problem.

locking the plate-'15 either in a lockingl position or in an elevated position. This consists of a well known type of lock 22 which is rigidly mounted upon the open end of said plate 15. The bolt or plunger4 23' 'of this lbck is extended and is movable through the insertion of the key and the same is connected to the upper bolt 17- by penetrating the end of 'said plunger. It will, therefore, be readilyseen that retracted by turning the key Within the lock, the slidable plate 15 will be moved to the locking position shown in the several views, and, when said bolt or likewise be elevated above the H-plate and will be maintainedv in such position until lowered, which act takes place whenever it' is desired to lock the shifting lever against operation. It will bel readily -understood how this locking plate l5 is thusmaniputhe locking plate will lated to secure it in either a lowered or -elevated position.

Vhile I have some particularity, the same to parts that may be or less without aifecting the sco described my invention with I do not wish to limit varied more e of the invention. For example, the sliding plate-15` cooperates with four adjacent sides of the H- plate when moved in operative relation to said H-plate. The engaging end of .the locking plate may be more or less varied without affecting this function, therefore, I do not wish to limit myself tothe 'identical form shown and described `but rather I Wish to embrace within the scope ofthe claims all modiiications which do not depart from the essential and -fundamental parts' ofmy invention. i

Having described my invention, I claim: 1. In a locking device for transmission 4control levers, the combinationvwith a gearshifting lever and an Hplate in which said lever is confined, of a locking'plate `slidably mounted on a side of said lever and having .an enlarged end provided `with a seriesA of engaging shoulders whereby said locking plate is adapted to interlock said lever with different H-plates, locking plate adapted to lock vsaid lever from lateral movement, an a lock for securing said plate tin..` position, substantially "as specified.

2. In ailoek for transmission levers of'au- 'i I the' combination with a -leve'r'and tomobiles to the extent an H-plate-having guide. slots of which said lever is movable, plate having 'an enlarged end mounted upon said lever andnipvable in the slots of said H-plate, the enlarged end ofl said s lidable plate being provided with a series of engaging shoulders adapted to coperateV with H- plates of varying lengths of slots to prevent said lever being movedin a plane parallel with the length of the H-plate, anda proa side 'projection on said v ofA a slidable jection on said plate adapted to engage said l-l-plate to prevent lateral movement of the lever relative thereto, and means such as a .lock for locking. said slidable plate inposition.

' In testimony whereof I affix my signature,

in presenee-oftwo witnesses.

. j OLIVER A. BENHAM.

Witnesses: i`

R. J. MCCARTY, 

